Qué Paso!?
California wines have a huge following (as they should); and, while Napa has the biggest reputation, there is another area of note. That is California’s Central Coast. There are some very beautiful wines coming out of this region, and it is especially worthy of a visit. We visited the area with dear friends a while ago and had a wonderful time.
Specifically, we visited Paso Robles and stayed at the Hotel Cheval. This is a quiet town with excellent food and a quaint town square. Our experience was refreshing and relaxing. The hotel itself was small, and the well-appointed rooms surrounded a peaceful courtyard. Chairs were set in the courtyard in front of fireplaces, and there was a nightly S’mores service. Yes – a young gentleman would come around with a cart, and you could order your flavor of marshmallow with a specific chocolate. Yum, and I am admitting right here that I sat back and let him make a S’more for me!
Consider a Visit to Del Dotto on Your Next Visit to Napa!
Napa is filled with great wineries and great tasting experiences. Where to visit is really a question that is best answered by what type of experience you would like to have. There are over 400 wineries in the valley, and each offers something different to tantalize your palate and your mind.
Del Dotto is one of those fun and informational tours that I recommend to most folks who have the opportunity to visit the valley. There are two wine caves to choose from, and both offer tours of their caves where you taste from barrels along the way. The original location is in Napa in the south end of the valley. It’s been a few years since I’ve visited that location, but I’m sure you would not be disappointed. My most recent tours have been in the newer location in St. Helena. Del Dotto tours and tastings are by appointment only, and the cost is $50 per person. Trust me — You will definitely get your money’s worth!
What?? A “Ball Buster”??
Forgive me. I had no intention of offending anyone with the title of this post, but this is a wine that caught my eye for the obvious reason. I was traveling, as I do frequently, and I was shopping for wine for dinner. Out of necessity, I have a list of fine wine shops throughout the country. One of those stores is Lukas Liquor in Overland Park, Kansas. I was in Kansas City for a few days recently and had a chance to have a nice dinner at J. Alexander’s. One of the best aspects of this restaurant is that there is NO corkage fee.
So, before dinner, I stopped at Lukas and was exploring the Australian section. This label caught my eye. “What the heck,” I thought, “It’s only a $16.00 experiment.” I knew that one of the advantages of Shiraz from Australia is that it can be drunk young.
The Ball Buster was a perfect accompaniment to my dinner.
Prosecco — Nicely Priced!
As I peddled away on the stationary bike this evening watching “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” on the Food Network (if I can’t eat everything I want, at least I can watch it!), I saw two advertisements for Prosecco. I had never seen Prosecco ads on TV before — who knew?? Well, that reminded me that I had neglected to point out the pricing of Prosecco when I posted about it the other night.
Prosecco runs in the under $20 category for the really good ones. I’ve seen Lamarca, which is a nice bottle, at Costco for as little as $12 and in grocery stores in the range of $12-15.
A Time to “Sparkle”
Last night was an evening to relax and enjoy a great meal with my favorite person at our favorite restaurant – Hawks. If you live in the Sacramento area and you haven’t tried Hawks, you should. I waited at the bar and had a glass of Prosecco. It is a perfect way to begin and refresh the palate.
Prosecco (officially called “Glera”) is an Italian grape varietal that is used to make a white sparkling wine. (By the way, the ancient Greeks called Italy “Oenotria,” which means the land of wine.) Many great wines come from Italy, and Prosecco is one of the most important wines from a region called The Veneto. It is also one of Italy’s most celebratory wines and the second leading sparkling wine in Italy after Asti. (Spumante means sparkling wine.) Italy has three major wine regions: Piedmont, Tuscany, and The Tre Venezie. The Veneto is one of the three regions that make up the Tre Venezie. The best grapes grow just north of Venice. Prosecco is dry or “off dry” (meaning it has some residual sugar to make it slightly sweet) with good acidity and a light, creamy flavor.
Let Them Eat Cakebread!
February is a quiet time in Napa Valley, as many visitors wait until it’s warmer to visit. While it is quiet relatively speaking (there are more visitors to Napa Valley then to Disneyland), there are still many new wines to be tasted. Typically, wineries release their wines in the early spring (sometimes February) and in the fall. One typical way to release new wines to the public is via a release party. Mostly, release parties are by invitation to the wineries’ mailing lists or wine clubs, but many times you can be included if you’re aware the release party is taking place and you call ahead. Release parties are often publicized on a winery’s website.
Such was our recent visit to Cakebread Cellars for their release party. This is one of the family-owned wineries in the valley. Let me also say that still today over 95% of the wineries in Napa Valley are family-owned. Cakebread Cellars opened over 39 years ago. Jack Cakebread came to photograph the Napa Valley for a book; and, while there, his interest was piqued in owning and running a winery. And that truly was the genesis of Cakebread. This winery was also one of forerunners in wine and food pairing. Jack’s wife, Dolores, was known for her winery dinners. This many years later, Cakebread still highlights pairings and recipes on its website (www.cakebread.com) and offers cooking classes at the winery. I remember visiting Cakebread in the early 1970s, when the tasting room was a small barn-like structure. Today, it is a beautiful, modern structure; but it still has a rustic theme.
A Big Zin and No Win
It is Sunday night, and I am in despair. I’m a big San Francisco 49er fan. The game was intense; and, in the end, well you know. They lost by three points. It was close and, to make it through, I had a little refreshment along the way.
It was a 2009 Turley Zinfandel from the Cedarman Vineyard. I will stick my neck out here and say that Turley is one of the best Zinfandel producers in California. I will also say that I am not sticking my neck out very far by saying that. Turley predominately makes single vineyard wines and is prolific in their production.
Cheers — to Your Health!
This week, I’d like to share some information about the health benefits of wine. But, first, let me start with a disclaimer. I’m not a doctor, so this isn’t health or medical advice. Also, I don’t play a doctor on TV, nor did I sleep in a Holiday Inn last night! Yet, I’m very interested and get quite excited when I hear that things or practices I enjoy are good for my health. Just yesterday, I was reading a presentation on Medscape, the title being “Coffee, the First Wonder Drug.” I get very jazzed when I see that type of a title and the data is there to support the claim from a reliable source. The same is true for my passion about wine.
It’s alcohol, and how can that be good? We all know that moderation is an important aspect of all things we do, and there have been many studies that have concluded that low to moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with numerous potential physiological benefits. I once sat in on a cardiologist presentation (back in the ‘80’s) on the benefits of red wine as contrasted to white wine, beer, and hard liquor versus no consumption at all. To be honest, I was not drinking at all prior to that evening. Thank you, doctor. Look at what I might have missed!
“Taint” What It Should Be!
Dining out with great friends and with a great bottle of wine is one of the pleasures in life. In a nice restaurant, there is a process, once you have selected a wine from the list (or brought one from home), of serving the wine. The server will present the bottle to allow you to confirm that it is what you ordered and then open the bottle.
Storing Wine Over the Refrigerator or Stove? Oh, No!
All of us have specific preferences for temperature and sunlight. I have mine: It’s a temperature of above 60 degrees with an ample amount of blue sky and not too much moisture (rain, that is). (Hmmm, that sounds like a good argument for living in California…) I discovered my preference while living in the frozen tundra of Minneapolis for several years!
My point is that, just like people have preferences for their “ideal climate,” wine also has its “ideal climate.” If you’ve visited wineries, toured their facilities, and walked through the caves, you can see that the winery is built for temperature control, even if electricity is lost. You’ve likely heard the number “55 degrees” as an ideal temperature for storing wine. Well, it’s all about controlling the reaction in the barrel or the bottle. A bottle of wine will turn to vinegar left to its own devices and open to air.